THE Israeli military today bolstered forces along the volatile border with the Gaza Strip in response to intensifying rocket fire as tensions remained high over the deaths of three Israeli teenagers and an Arab youth.

PUBLISHED: 00:00, Thu, Jul 3, 2014

?Israeli soldies during the search operation for the three teenagers [GETTY]

The troop movement was "defensive" but Israel remained prepared for any additional violence from the Palestinian territory, military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said.

"Everything we are doing is to de-escalate the situation but on the other hand be prepared for actions that can develop if they do not de-escalate," Lerner said.

The deployment included tanks, artillery and ground forces.

Israel's last major operation in Gaza, a territory controlled by the Hamas militant group, took place in late 2012.

In Gaza, two senior Hamas officials said the group has "no interest" in any kind of escalation and hoped the cease-fire that ended the 2012 fighting could be restored.

But they warned that rocket fire would continue until Israel halts its attacks on Gaza.

Once Israel stops attacking Gaza, we are willing to immediately preserve the truce

A Hamas official

"Israel has been attacking Gaza since the kidnapping of the teens," one official said.

"Once Israel stops attacking Gaza, we are willing to immediately preserve the truce."

Israel has accused Hamas of being behind those deaths, and arrested hundreds of Hamas operatives in the West Bank as part of a broad manhunt in the largest ground operation in the West Bank in nearly a decade.

In east Jerusalem, meanwhile, clashes resumed as several dozen masked Palestinian youths stood behind a large garbage bin and hurled stones and firebombs toward Israeli security forces. Police responded with stun grenades and tear gas, but largely kept their distance.

No injuries were reported.

The violence erupted Wednesday after a 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was abducted and a charred body - believed to be the boy - was found in a Jerusalem forest.

The family has blamed extremist Jews for killing him in revenge for the deaths of the three Israeli teens, whose bodies were found in a field in the West Bank on Monday after a more than two-week search.